Paper file



Feb. 21, 1933. s. R. HARRIMAN PAPER FILE Filed March 12, 1951 fnveni/az Si? BJI 63;"? Jyey az-nz/mm Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STTES PTE STANLEY 1a. HARRIMAN, or SALEM, MAssAcnusnTrs PAPER FILE Application filed March 12, 1931. Serial No. 52l,92 7.

er bottom or laid upon the desk, table, or-

other support.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims. 7

In the drawing r Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a filing clevice embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewon an enlarged scale on line 22 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 33 of Fig.1 showing the follower substantially erect; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the follower inclined rearwardly as it'would be under the pressure of papers in front of it. I

Referring to the drawing and to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated therein, there is shown a filing device comprising a track or guide including a pair of guides, herein elongated sheet-metal plates or strips 10 connected to each other by appropriate means such as transverse strips or bars 11 suitably unitedwith the longitudinal guides as by spot-welding. The track is provided with appropriate means for elevating the guides above the drawer bottom as by providing the guides 10 with lateral longitudinally disposed flanges 12 which as herein shown are curled about lengthwise rods 18. This guide is intended to be placed upon the drawer bottom or upon, the top of a desk or table. l Vhen it is placed in a drawer the track will naturally be disposed lengthwise of and centrally in the drawer.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a guide card 14:

which in practice will be made of suitable material such as what is commonly known as press-board, and to this card there is secured a metallic tab 15 by appropriate means suchas a fastener, herein a rivet 16. This tab extends downwardly through the slot be- I tween the two guides 10, and beneath the latter it is provided with a flange 17 disposed in a horizontal plane and having laterally projecting portions 18 which underlie the guides 10, thereby maintaining the connection of the guide card with the track. Attachment of the guide card to the track is accomplished by first placing the guide card centrally of the track and extending lengthwise of the latter, and then tu'rningthe guide card to the position shown in Fig. 1 and with i the lateral projections 18 beneath the guides 10. Itshould of course be understood that in practice there will-'be'several such guide cards attached to the track, there being as many as circumstances require.

T To hold the papers or folders of the file under compression, and to prevent them from falling over rearwardly, there is provided a follower-comprising a plate 19 of appropriate material such as sheet-metal which is slit or punched to provide a large central tongue 20 and twolaterally disposed downwardly and rearwardly extendingarms 21 which are connected to each other by an integral bar 22, thelatter normally being disposed flatwise (see Fig. 3) upon the guides 10. The tongue 20 is providedwith a'downwardly" directed integral tab 23 which is bent rearwardly to provide a flange 24 having the laterally extending portions 25 disposed beneath the guides 10. The vertical space between the cross-bar 22 and the flange 24 is just sufficient to enable the follower when substancomparative freedom along the track. However, the construction is such that rearward pressure upon the upper portion of the follower, tending to rock the latter relatively to the track, is utilized tocause thecross-bar 22 to exert a downward pressure upon the top of the guides 10 and the laterally'extending portions 25 of the flange 24 to exert an upward pressureon the bottom of the guides,

thereby causing the follower to grip the guides firmly and to be prevented from being displaced rearwardly along the guides. The follower may be adjusted by relieving the pressure of the papers thereagainst, then rocking the follower into an upright position, and finally sliding the follower along the track in the desired direction after which 7 the papers or folders are released and allowed to rock the follower rearwardly to cause it to grip the track. The follower is applied to the track in the same manner in which the guide cards are applied thereto.

The guide card or cards may be adjusted freely lengthwise of the track because there is no gripping action, and" of course where there are several guide cards they will be located at the desired intervals between the drawer front and the follower.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a filing device, the combination of a horizontal guide provided with a slot, and a follower comprising an abutment forpapers, a downwardly extending tongue provided with a tab extending downwardly through said slot and provided with two laterally extending portions beneath said guide, two arms extending downwardly. and rearwardly, and a cross-bar connecting said arms rearwardly of said tongue and resting upon said guide.

2. In a filing device, the combination of a horizontal guideprovided with a slot, and a one-piece follower comprising a plate punched and bent to present a downwardly extending tongue provided with a tab extending through said slot and having a flange provided with two laterally extending portions beneath said guide, two arms extending downwardly and rearwardly, and a cross-bar connecting said arms rearwardly of said V tongue and resting upon said guide.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

STANLEY HARRYIMAN. 

